S.A. Lead with the most tech hubs in Africa

S.A. Lead with the most tech hubs in Africa2014-06-122014-11-20http://www.wifire.co.za/2016/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/wifire-logo.pngWi-Firehttp://www.wifire.co.za/2016/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/flag.jpg200px200px

An updated list by The World Bank has indicated that South Africa now have the most technology hubs in Africa.

Lead policy specialist for World Bank’s ICT sector department, Tim Kelly, has been able to revise a previous list, using various sources including, Kenya’s iHub Research and has put together a list of over 90 facilities. The list indicates that South Africa has 18 hubs.

These include Bandwidth Barn, Silicon Cape, m:lab Southern Africa, Startup Garage, the Innovation Hub and RLabs. Second on the list is Kenya with 8, while Nigeria and Ghana are in joint third place, each with 9 hubs respectively. It also states that more than half of African countries have at least one tech hub.

Kelly has noted that, “The list of hubs is growing on an almost weekly basis, and BongoHive maintains a current list based on a crowdsourcing model. But tech hubs also disappear, particularly those that are based on informal gatherings of developers, or hackerspaces.

A high failure rate is an inevitable consequence of innovation, and the testing of ideas. While speaking on the importance of these facilities, Kelly stated, “It is the companies that tech hubs give birth to that will be the lasting legacy.” Experts have indicated that Africa could even become the next Silicone Valley. And with these innovation hubs mushrooming across the continent, playing pivotal roles in tech and entrepreneurship, the idea of an African Silicone Valley might not be that far-fetched.